Eadlyn and Eikko Ever After
by Tigerlily223
Summary: Eadlyn and Eikko's life after the selection, starting with the night before their wedding.
1. The Night Before: Eikko's POV

**A/N: I posted a story yesterday that I had written awhile ago but I have never shared my writing before. It got some positive feedback so I decided to share this one too. I wrote this about the same time, and if people like it, I will continue and add onto this one. I hope you enjoy!**

The night before: Eikko POV

Tomorrow, I will be a husband. Tomorrow, I will officially become a prince. Tomorrow, my whole life will change… again. I never liked the spotlight. In school, I always tried to fade in the background, spending time with only a small circle of close friends. There would be no hiding now. My whole life would be spotlight. Not that I had exactly been able to hide as the fiance of the queen, but this felt different. Eikko Koskinen, prince consort. Honesty, I had no doubts about Eadlyn, but prince? That I wasn't so sure about.

"Eikko, stop pacing," my father scolded "you're driving me crazy." I sighed, he was almost as nervous as I was about this whole thing. I could barely talk him into coming to Angeles for the wedding at all.

"Sorry, papa" I muttered.

Suddenly Ahren appeared at my side, pushing a glass of amber liquid into my hands. He clapped me on the back "Come on man, this is supposed to be your bachelor party! And I'm supposed to be having mine vicariously through you! You're marrying my sister tomorrow and you look like you just got a death sentence. Let's do something, it will take your mind off of things. And drink up, that will help with your nerves."

Ahren had been a godsend these past few months. Even from France, with everything he already had on his plate, he called at least every other day, giving insight and advice on what it was like to be a prince consort. He had been raised for this, whereas I had been thrust into it just for loving his sister. I think I spoke to him more often than Eadlyn did these days. Between the conversations about duty, we talked about our lives before the women we were in love with, and became friends. We had become closer than I was with my own brother, who was currently looking bored in the corner, sipping his drink.

How was I expected to relax? This "bachelor party" consisted of my recluse father, my future father in law, a brother I couldn't relate to, my future brother in law and a 14 year old. Kaden, another soon to be in law. Not that I was ever the party type, but I knew this was a pretty lame crowd. Even I knew a proper bachelor party should probably consist of some men my age, ones I wasn't related to or about to be related to. And I'm not really sure I'd want to engage in the activities of a 'normal' bachelor party anyway. I'd be perfectly happy going to bed and trying to get some rest before the big day ahead of me.

I clinked my glass against Ahren's and downed it in one swallow. It burned down my throat and left a warm feeling in my stomach. It wasn't unpleasant, and I already felt some of my tension melt away. "That's the spirit!" Ahren exclaimed, but behind him, I could see the king looking at me with disapproval. Oh yea, this was going to be a fun night. Ahren filled my glass again, laughing as we toasted our glasses and took another long drink. Thank God for him.

My brother, Aleksandr, pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over to us. Honestly, you would think _he_ was royalty. So self assured and full of himself, you could see it even in his walk. We were born less than a year apart. For about 2 weeks every year, we were the same age. You would think this would make us close, but we couldn't be more different. Where I was reserved and quiet, he was outgoing and wild. Back home, he had a reputation as a heartbreaker. The first thing he asked upon his arrival here was if I'd 'nailed' the queen yet. While I fumed, my mother assured me he was joking. He could do no wrong in their eyes. Even though I was older, I was constantly referred to as "Alek's brother." It drove me crazy. The best part of moving to Angeles, besides being with Eadlyn, was the chance at being my own person away from his charismatic shadow.

"Ahren, you grew up in Angeles. You must know where some guys like us can have some fun. Let's ditch these old guys and the kid and have a good time"

God, he was so embarrassing. I poured myself a third glass, clearly I was going to need it. "Alek," I hissed "one of those 'old guys' is the king! Have a little respect"

To my surprise, the king laughed. " _Former_ king, and he's right, these parties are for younger men." he turned to my father "Come on Hasten, I'll show you our library. Eikko told us you like to read. Kaden, you should be heading to bed." Kaden tried to protest, but quieted quickly with a stern look from his father. Before leaving, Mr. Schreave leaned down and quietly told me to take it easy with the drinks. "You don't want to be nursing a hangover on your wedding day. And I want everything to be perfect for my only daughter." I didn't miss the warning in his voice. As if _I_ was the one he had to worry about.

"Yes, sir" I said, and they left the room. After the door shut behind them, I downed the third glass and poured a fourth. Why had I never done this before? The weight of everything to come was slowly lifting off my shoulders with each sip. What had I been so worried about, anyway?

"To answer your question, Alek, I grew up here, but rarely left the palace grounds. And we can't exactly leave tonight either." Ahren was astute, I'm sure he could see my brother as he really was. For once, someone wasn't immediately charmed by him. "So, I was thinking," Ahren continued "let's grab this bottle, go outside, get drunk and hit some golf balls." Perfect, that was certainly my pace.

As we headed outside, we passed a few off-duty maids. My brother put on his winning smile, and nodded his head "ladies" he said smoothly. They looked at each other and giggled as they turned a corner behind us.

No more than 20 minutes after we made it outside, Alek muttered something about "bathroom" and walked back inside. I had a feeling he was hoping for a more traditional bachelor party and was headed to find those maids. I hoped that they would have enough wits not to fall for his charms, but I didn't feel too optimistic. Even with his reputation at home, he had no problem finding companionship.

That left me and Ahren, drinking, laughing and hitting the occasional ball. To my surprise I was pretty good at this, even after many drinks.

"So brother, tell me. What's worrying you? Not getting cold feet?" Ahren asked, drinking directly from the bottle we brought outside. I grabbed the bottle and took a swig.

"No cold feet, I just wish we could do it like you and Camille." I said. He looked at me, eyebrows raised. I burst out laughing "No! Well yes, that too, of course. But I meant elope. No time to second guess the title." I stumbled and we both snickered. Ahren grabbed my shoulders with both hands, steadying both of us and looked at me with unfocused eyes. He could barely keep a straight face. "You know I like you Erik, but please, never ever ever ever reference sleeping with my sister again. Married or not" He released me and we both fell to the ground, howling with laughter. It was a miracle we didn't wake the whole palace. He took the bottle back from me and frowned when he found it empty "how did that happen?"

Honestly, I didn't know. I was just hoping I'd feel OK tomorrow. As if he was reading my thoughts Ahren turned to me and said "Come on, we should go eat something and get some water, otherwise we're going to be a wreck tomorrow"

We made our way to the kitchen, and was so grateful a cook was there. He whipped up a huge plate of french fries and cheeseburgers for us, smiling knowingly as he put the plates down in front of us. He also brought over a huge pitcher of water and some glasses, before leaving us to it. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I took that first bite. I was famished. We are in silence, inhaling our burgers. When I was finished I whispered the question that was really on my mind. "Ahren, am I really good enough to be a prince? Her prince?"

I was met with silence. When I got to the courage to look at him, he was passed out, face first into his plate. I snickered, and that's when I heard a small laugh behind me.

Eadlyn was here. I had to blink several times to be sure it was really her. She shook her head, taking in the scene. She rolled her beautiful eyes and smiled before saying "Boys." As if she couldn't understand us for the world.

Her voice snapped me out of my trance. I walked over to her, and even though I knew I smelled like grease and dirt and grass and liquor, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her. Even if I doubted I was good enough for her, I knew I would spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy. She was a vision in her nightgown and robe. She always looked like an angel to me, but there was something about seeing her outside of her "queen" outfits, with her hair unstyled and no makeup that did me in. This was when she was just Eadlyn. Just my Eadlyn.

Unsure of my footing, I picked her up and moved to hold her against the wall. While I carried her, she wrapped her legs around my hips. I wasn't expecting that. Even though I knew she was just as excited as I was for tomorrow night, we hadn't done much more than kiss before. Neither of us had much experience with the opposite sex. And although we never talked about it, we seemed to have an unspoken agreement that we would wait. We couldn't get well break the law, and expect the people to follow it

She was so beautiful and so sexy. Her loose hair hung on either side of my face, and in an instant, I felt completely sober. Of course she was the only substance I needed to calm my fears and quiet my doubts. I had been so stupid. I held her even tighter, crushing her body into mine and kissed her again, getting lost in the feeling of her mouth on mine. She tightened her legs around me and I couldn't stop the groan leaving my mouth. I moved away from her mouth, kissing a line down her neck until I got to a sensitive spot near her collarbone that is found in the weeks after our engagement. "Eikko" she whispered my name. It still amazed me to hear her say my name, my real name, like that. In my wildest dreams I never expected to hear a woman half as incredible say my name so full of love and passion.

"Dude, come on, what did we _just_ talk about?"

And the moment was over. Poor Ahren was staring at us with a look of pure shock. This was made significantly less threatening due to the French fry still imbedded on his cheek.

I gently put Eadlyn down and several steps away, as if that would totally erase what he had just witnessed. As mortified as I was, Eadlyn didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"You were the one nagging me about finding a partner. You were the one who made me promise I'd marry for love. You got it!" She laughed. _Laughed!_ Meanwhile I thought there was a chance I might melt on the spot my face was burning so much. "Besides, how much PDA between you and Camille have I endured over the years? That's not even close to payback."

This woman, she was a force. Seriously, how had a girl like this fallen in love with me? Plain old Eikko.

"I'll see you tomorrow, 9 am sharp at the church. I'll be the one in white." It took me a moment to realize she was addressing me. As if I couldn't pick her out of a million others, even if they were all in white. She leaned up and whispered in my ear "I love you. I can't wait to be you wife. And what have I always told you? Eikko is enough. You are enough." she planted a kiss on my cheek and then she was gone.

I started at the spot where she had been for a few moments. My heart might have exploded thinking about the excitement in her voice, the love in the kisses we'd shared. The Schreaves said we should have this night apart to have fun, before being together for the rest of our lives. But, they were wrong. Seeing her was the assurance I needed to know everything was going to work out. And I would never, ever get enough of her, even over an entire lifetime. Even if we lived to be 200 be years old.

I wasn't sure if he was still on shock over what he'd witnessed or because of how his sister had chastised him, but Ahren and I walked in silence back to our rooms. At the last moment, he called my name, and I turned to face him

"Hey, I'm glad my sister found you. I know you'll take good care of her. I can already see how you've changed her for the better. It's nice to see her so happy."

Who knew my soon to be brother in law - no my brother - would have the power to bring tears to my eyes. I couldn't say anything back to him, but gave him a hug before we went into our rooms for the night.

I might still be nervous about the prince thing, but Eadlyn's family was something special. They loved me already and took me in as one of their own. Between her and her family, I knew there was no way they would let me fail. And if I ever fell, they would be there to catch me and build me back up. It's just who they were. Tomorrow, I will be a husband. Tomorrow, I will be a prince. And for once, it didn't terrify me.

I fell asleep quickly, wanting tomorrow to come so that she and I could be joined officially. The whole world would see what we already were in our hearts. Husband and wife. Family.


	2. The Night Before: Eadlyn's POV

The night before: Eadlyn

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at this group of women around me. They were supposed to be leaders, the pinnacle of what ladies should be, and right now they were being so silly. We had enough junk food to feed an army. There were sappy movies playing for us, not that any of them were watching. They were happily talking and gossiping, pushing magazines between them and painting each other's nails. Mattresses were strewn across over the floor of the women's room for us. It was almost like being any other girl having a sleepover with her best friends. If normal girls counted their mothers and mothers friends in that group. My mom, Miss Lucy, Lady Brice, Camille, Josie and Neena. The women who had gotten me to this day, and would help get me through whatever the future would hold. And I knew I would do anything for them as well. It was so strange now to think of myself as being jealous of Camille's perfection and hating Josie's imitations. Those who I used to push away and keep at arm's length I now held as tightly as I could.

There was one void here that I certainly felt. Miss Marlee. She graciously stayed, even though she now understood that my parents never expected her to. She wanted to help plan the wedding and be here while my mom recovered. She would be leaving very shortly after the wedding. First, she would go to Kent, to see her parents who she hasn't seen in nearly 20 years. To make amends? To say goodbye? I didn't know, but she needed closure on that part of her life. After that... I wasn't sure, but she promised to visit as often as possible. She had long forgiven me for sending Kile away, but I completely understood why she needed to spend time with him and her husband tonight, rather than be here with me. Likewise, Eikko understood why Kile needed this time with his family, rather than being by his side tonight. Josie, however, had no such inclinations. I smiled to myself thinking about how she had stood her ground and insisted she be with me tonight. She had a lifetime of Kile, she had complained to get mother, but there would only be one night before my wedding, and she didn't intend to miss it. I marveled as I watched her come into her own. Using her voice to become strong instead of bratty. Similar to my own journey, I laughed to myself.

"How are you feeling, your Majesty?" Neena had silently showed up at my side, nudging her shoulder against mine. I let out a deep breath with a huff "Excited? Nervous? Take your pick." It was the truth. Every emotion I could have felt like it was creeping through my veins, but those were the two that were currently dominating. She just smiled at me and squeezed my arm "We all see how much you love him, there's nothing to be nervous about" she had to know that it wasn't true, but it made me feel better, all the same. When it came to Eikko, I was sure, but there were certainly things to be nervous about. I was raised in the spotlight, and more than most, I knew that it could be a wonderful and terrible thing. My poor fiance, on the other hand, I wasn't sure he realized just how much we would be on display. Even when the constitutional monarchy took hold, we would still be important figures in this country and in the world.

I smiled, thinking of my fiance. And all I could do was pray that the attention and criticism wouldn't change him from the kind, soft spoken and vulnerable man I loved. In my heart, I knew it wouldn't - but I couldn't control the dark spot in my mind that gnawed at me, telling me that maybe this wasn't the best thing for him. That I was selfish to keep him. I could never just be his wife, fully devoted only to him. There was to much responsibility on my shoulders for that. There would be many times where he would be a priority lower than my duties, and I hated that. I wondered if I was good enough for him. If it was fair to give him that kind of life. He was such a wonderful man. He deserved someone who could focus solely on him and his needs. There would always be three people in our marriage. Him, me, and my crown.

Even tonight, he was stuck with my family. Kile needed to be with his family tonight, it was the first time he had been home in months. Hale was completing some last minute alterations to my dress, and Ean would be at his side. Fox had declined our invitation altogether. Gunner had initially planned to be here, but an unexpected loss in his family kept him at home. Henri should have been here, but some bad weather near Sota meant a delayed flight, and he wouldn't be here until very late tonight.

I felt disappointed, knowing they weren't here tonight, but they would be there tomorrow. I also knew he was in good hands with Ahren. I was genuinely shocked at how close they had become. With the distance and the surprise of picking him over any of the selected, I hadn't expected any type of relationship between them. I was happy though. Before Eikko, my dad and brothers, Ahren especially, had been the most important men in my life. Though I didn't need it, their approval meant the world to me. It reinforced everything I already felt, and strengthened my love for Eikko even further.

As the night went on, our numbers started to drop. Predictably, my mom and Miss Lucy fell asleep first, followed not long afterwards by Lady Brice and a very jet lagged Camille. To my delight, Camille did snore. Although not in a loud obnoxious way, even her snores were soft and ladylike. I couldn't wait to tell Eikko. I was practically in tears trying to hold back my laughter. Neena, ever the dutiful lady in waiting, urged me and Josie to go to sleep lest we have dark circles under our eyes tomorrow. And she faded as well. That left me and Josie, we laid down on mattresses next to each other, but sleep didn't come. We talked about her future, her new hopes and dreams, and Kaden - even though that one made me a bit uncomfortable. Eventually, even her eyes closed and breathing became soft and steady.

And I was alone. Too full of nerves and excitement to sleep. I tossed and turned for what felt like forever. I couldn't sit still a moment longer. I sat up and decided maybe a cup of tea would help me sleep. I got up as quietly as I could and pulled on a robe before tip toeing to the door, shutting it softly behind me.

I walked down the hall, stopping short when I realized I wasn't alone. Eikko's brother, Alek was there. In his arms, giggling, was a maid. I didn't know her well, but I knew her well enough to know her name, Marina. They were awfully close to the door of his guest room. And it dawned on me, where they were going, and what they would be doing. I was shocked. I was angry. My fiance's own brother. About to break _my_ laws and in my own home. Eikko tried to tell me he was trouble, that he wanted nothing to do with him, but I couldn't understand why. Now I was starting to get an idea. I cleared my throat as I started to walk past them in the hall. Her face turned bright red when she realized someone else was there, and turned into a look of horror when she realized it was me.

"Your Majesty" she barely spoke above a whisper as she curtsied deeply.

"Marina," I said coolly "it's awfully late"

"Yes, ma'am. I was just showing our guest back to his room, he got turned around. I think you can find your way from here! Good night." she quickly lied. I accepted it and watched her back as she scurried down the hall. She seemed like a nice girl and Eikko had tried to warn me something like this could happen. I turned back to Alek, expecting to see him looking bashful, or apologetic. What I wasn't prepared for was how angry he looked.

"Thanks a lot, _your Majesty,_ " he spat. I was angry again. Did he think being related to Eikko made it OK for him to talk to me this way? It didn't.

"I can't allow that. Especially not here. What were you thinking?" I responded, trying to hide my anger.

"Of course you couldn't. A perfect princess to match my perfect brother. Eikko, the perfect angel and apple of my parent's eyes. The literal _prince_ of the Koskinen family. What a match." He was so angry. I looked up to meet his eyes, as blue and clear as his brothers, but there was a pain there. Something had hurt him beyond measure, broken him. Seeing his hurt nearly ripped my heart out.

"Queen," I whispered "not princess"

"Well excuse me, your Majesty" he turned to enter his room, but before he could, I held his elbow.

"What happened to you, Alek?" I was still whispering. He spun on his heel to face me again, his face was inches from mine. He was trying to hide the pain behind malice, but I could still see it there, in the background. There was also surprise written on his face. Had nobody ever seen how much he hurt? Did they just write him off as a careless boy without ever looking twice? They must have.

"Nothing you would understand. Good night" he said firmly before shrugging out of my grasp, marching into his room and slamming the door behind him.

"I won't give up. I'll find some way to help you" I was still whispering, in shock. This little stroll to the kitchens had taken a turn I couldn't have predicted. If he heard me, he didn't show it. He didn't come back to the door or make any sound at all. I'm not sure how long I stood there in shock, staring at that door, but I shook my head, and turned to continue to get my tea. As much as I knew I would find a way to help him, I tried to put it out of my mind. There was nothing that I could do for him tonight, and there was nothing I could do for him tomorrow either.

I put him out of my mind, the best I could and let my mind wander back to Eikko. He was perceptive, I was surprised he never saw any of what I just did. Although, I guess sometimes it's hard to see the truth about the people closest to our hearts. It didn't diminish him at all in my mind. No family was perfect, not even mine - although I felt we were pretty damn close.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw them. Eikko and my brother. It was quite a sight, my fiance focused intently on his dish before him, and my brother passed out on his plate. I was about to say something, to tease them over being drunk. To tease them that their tuxes wouldn't fit tomorrow after such a meal, but then I heard him.

"Ahren, am I really good enough to be a prince? Her prince?"

It stopped me in my tracks. So we were both spending the night wondering if we had enough to offer the other. If we could be good enough. If we would be able to fill our roles as husband and wife and as Queen and prince and make it all work.

But then he noticed Ahren, passed out on his plate and chuckled. I couldn't help but laugh too. He heard me and turned around. He must have thought I was an apparition, staring in my direction for several moments. "Boys," I smiled, incredulous. This whole scene was so silly. And I didn't just mean the pair in front of me. I thought back to how all the boys I had encountered through the selection had changed my life. And I would never fully understand them.

And then his arms were around me, kissing me and the rest of the world fell away. I could tell it was reassuring to both of us, whatever doubts we had about our future, it had nothing to do with our love for one another. I felt him lift me, to brace me against the wall. What the hell, we were going to be married in less than 12 hours. I wrapped my legs around him, to be as close to him as I could be. He pulled away slightly and looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and pulled me even tighter against him. I responded by tightening my legs around him. The low moan escaping him was so sexy. I kissed him fiercely, and he responded. He kissed my mouth, then my jaw and neck, all the way to that damn spot he'd found on my collarbone months ago. Then it was me who couldn't hold back "Eikko," his name escaped my lips.

And then I crashed back to Earth, my brother had woken up and scolded my fiance. I had totally forgotten he was even there. But I wasn't going to let him get away with criticizing us. I put him in his place, while Eikko looked at me in amazement. When I finished, I turned to him

"I'll see you tomorrow, 9 am sharp at the church. I'll be the one in white." He was in a sort of trance, and I could see all the wheels turning in his head. I realized that one of us was going to have to stop questioning ourselves and our worth. I knew it would have to be me. I was used to being strong, being in the lead, and I would be strong for him. I would stop my worries and doubts, and try to stop his. I leaned into him and whispered in his ear "I love you. I can't wait to be you wife. And what have I always told you? Eikko is enough. You are enough." As I pulled away, I kissed his cheek. Then, I left to go back to the women's room, I thought I needed tea, but it was Eikko I'd needed.

As I entered the room, trying to be quiet, she was already sitting up on my mattress. My mom. She patted the spot next to her and I silently sat down. She wrapped an arm around me. "Did you get everything you needed?" she asked. I nodded.

She squeezed my shoulder "I know it's scary, no matter how much you love him, no matter how much he loves you. It's ok to be scared. I was" I couldn't believe it. I didn't know anyone who loved each other as much as mom and dad. If even she was nervous, I knew everything would be ok. I leaned into her "Thanks, mom." She kissed the top of my head "Now get some sleep, my daughter."

And I did.


	3. The Day Of: Eikko's POV

A/N: grab a cup of coffee. This is a long one. Thank you to those of you who have reviewed you have really inspired me to continue

The Day Of: Eikko

Morning came slower than I would have liked. I woke with the sunrise, eager for the day to start. Today, before the eyes of the entire world, I would pledge myself to her, and then to Illea. I knew my bride was probably already awake, starting to be made up for the day. The thought made me smile, her being fussed over, an entire team trying to perfect her looks which were already perfect. I threw two aspirin pills into my mouth. I took a long shower, trying to wash away my slight headache and nausea, as well as the jitters I was feeling. The anticipation was torture. Today would be so many things, and I was eager for it to start.

I wrapped a towel around my waist and considered getting dressed and going to find some breakfast. I decided to call my butler and request a tray be brought to my room. Normally, that would make me uncomfortable, being waited on that way, but I knew that the kitchens would be insane. The chefs and staff would be working hard to prepare for the massive dinner and reception tonight. I would have just been in the way. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt while I waited for my breakfast. I started pacing again, glad my father wasn't here to scold me again. My clock seemed to have broken. Time was moving too slowly, impossibly slow.

There was a knock at my door, and my stomach grumbled in response. Despite my heavy, late night meal, I was starving and I would need my energy to get through the day. I made it to the door in a few long strides and threw it open.

It felt like I had been hit by a brick wall. It took me a moment to realize that the brick wall was a person who had thrown their arms around me. A cheerful, blond, brick wall.

"Henri" I gasped, throwing my arms around him. I was so happy, I could have cried. OK, I admit it, I did cry. It had been months since I saw my best friend at the engagement party. While we did talk and write letters, it wasn't the same as being in his presence. I was worried when I had asked him to be my best man. I heard the emotion in his voice after I asked him. He told me he would be honored, and that nothing would make him happier than to be part of our day. I shouldn't have been surprised by his joy, but shamefully I was. After all, I was supposed to be here only to help him get the girl. He could have been bitter, he could have hated me and I wouldn't have blamed him, but Henri wasn't like that. Sure, he was sad that she had fallen in love with me instead of him, but he chose to be happy for us. He loved us both enough to want our happiness, as if it were his own. In some ways, I wished Eadlyn had been able to get to know him better. She knew he was good, and that he had a beautiful heart, but with the language barrier she would never get to know him as I had.

"Eikko, I missed you" he pulled away from our hug, but left a hand on my shoulder. "Can I have breakfast with you? We need to catch up!" He motioned to the cart behind him.

"Yes! Of course! Come in" I moved aside so he could enter and pushed the cart of food to the small table in the corner of my room. It was already set with two chairs. Some nights Eadlyn would sit across from me at that table, and we would share a bottle of wine as she vented about her bad days and shared the good ones with joy. I loved being able to be there for her, and she always listened to me too, like my advice was truly valuable to her. So soon we would be sharing a room permanently. Henri's voice pulled my out of my daydream.

"Seems like you had fun last night," he smiled motioning to the open aspirin bottle on my nightstand "I'm so sorry I wasn't here. The storms in Sota can be so bad this time of year… I got on the first flight out, but I only got here a few hours ago." Did he seriously think I was mad? Or upset? I was just happy he was here with me now. I told him as much. Hoping he knew how much I meant it.

After so many months of speaking primarily English, my native tongue felt weird in my mouth. But it was nice to be speaking Finnish again. It felt like home. We caught up over heaping portions of eggs, and bacon and coffee. I told him all about life at the palace. Lessons with the king, my friendship with Ahren, the endless wedding planning sessions I'd been obligated to attend. I was careful to leave Eadlyn out of it as much as possible. Even though he wouldn't see it that way, it would feel like rubbing our relationship in his face. When I was done, he told me all about his family and how the restaurant was doing better than ever. After Eadlyn's endorsement of his food in a Report during the selection, there had been a line wrapped around the building to get in. Since he had come home, they had only gotten more busy. He told me about how they expanded the restaurant. They had added a small pastry shop to the side of the building, and it was all Henri's to run. I knew how much he loved baking, and that he must be in heaven there.

A smile spread across his face as he told me about a baker he had hired who was completely hopeless. Maja. She burned things, mixed up the salt and the sugar, but he couldn't fire her. He told me all about her. Short brown hair, bright green eyes, her family was from a region in Swendway not to far from his hometown. How charming she was even when she forgot to put eggs in a recipe or set a fire in the kitchen. He went on and on about her, and I was happy he found someone that he liked so much.

"How long have you been dating? You never mentioned her to me before? You should have brought her with you! We have plenty of room, I know Eadlyn would have loved to meet her too" I insisted.

"Oh no, I couldn't. She's my employee, it would be inappropriate, Eikko" he dimmed slightly and shrugged, as if it was enough to just be near her.

"To hell with appropriate!" I exclaimed, "if you like her, don't let her get away. Look at what I did, that certainly wasn't appropriate" I blushed, it wasn't exactly my finest moment. But you can't help who you love.

He laughed at my embarrassment, "You are so right. After what you did for love, this would be hardly anything at all" he teased. "But in truth, you are right. I've never met anyone like her. I promise, I'll ask her out when I get home, OK?"

I lightly punched his shoulder, "Good, and if you don't follow through on that, I'll take Illea One, fly to Sota and tell her myself"

We ate more, and laughed more. It was so incredible how we could be separated for so long, and then just pick up where we had left off as if no time had passed at all.

Before I knew it, it was time to start getting dressed. I stood looking at myself in the mirror, pulling at the sleeves of my tuxedo.

"Eikko, you have to stop fidgeting with dress clothes," Henri said gently "you're going to be a prince, you have to think of how you will be perceived. You need to show that you are steady and strong. You need to keep your head up, not be fidgety like a mouse"

I nodded, he was right, of course, I remembered him studying her brothers to get his posture and mannerisms just right. Why hadn't I done anything like that in the past months? It was stupid. But my hands were still trembling, it was getting so close now. Henri turned me to face him, and helped my with my tie, seeing that I was too worked up to do it myself.

"You're going to be a wonderful husband, Eikko. I know you love her, and clearly she loves you just as much. This is going to be one of the best days of your life, so stop worrying and just enjoy every minute." He pulled me into another hug. I still had nervous energy, but my hands had stopped shaking.

"Thank you, Henri. I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much"

He smiled "Nowhere else I would rather be, my friend"

There was a soft knock at the door, and Henri jumped to answer it. I saw him bow, and Mrs. Schreave entered my room. "Henri, so good to see you. Do you think I could have a moment with Erik? We will meet you in the foyer in a few minutes."

I fell into my old role as translator, and relayed everything to Henri, who tried to speak in English "It is good I am seeing you too, your Majesty" he bowed and left us.

"More than anyone else alive, I know how you must be feeling. I admit, I'm surprised you didn't want to talk to me about it. Although, I suppose it's easier for you to relate to my son." It was clear she wasn't judging me or criticizing me, but she was completely right. She was so clearly a queen, that I hadn't even thought to talk to her about my reservations. She had been born in the caste system, to a lower caste, poor family. She had been thrust into a royal, public life in a manner similar to my own. She smiled, almost reading my thoughts "you forgot?" I nodded.

"I don't tell many people this, but during my selection, I nearly walked away from Maxon. I didn't think being a queen was something I could do, and now look at me. My son in law doesn't even remember my upbringing." She smiled, "Before he died, my father told me that this was something I could do, and that meant the world to me. I know that I'm not your mother, I hope that one day you might think of me as one. I felt that way about Queen Amberly before-" her voice cracked "regardless, I just wanted to tell you that I know you can do this too. I was an emotional disaster when I first came here, I thought I would never recover from the pain I was in. But being in this position, and being able to change lives and do good in the world.. even if I wasn't lucky enough to do it alongside someone I love so dearly, I would say that it's been an incredible life. You'll make mistakes, and hate it at times, but when you look back at all you were able to accomplish, you won't change a single minute, even the bad. And you're not even the mess that I was when I arrived here! You'll be better than I ever was" She smiled and was looking beyond me, clearly reliving the last 20 years of her life.

I didn't know what to say. That she believed in me so much, it touched my heart. I felt the tears pooling in eyes. "Thank you. I do want to think of you that way - like a mom" I whispered. She smiled, her eyes full of pride and straightened out my tie

"Come on, let's go get that daughter of mine married"

I followed her to the foyer. A huge grandfather clock told me that I'd be married in about an hour. For the first time, I let myself think about the actual ceremony. What Eadlyn night look like walking down the aisle towards me. My heart leapt.

The next half hour was a blur. Piling into a limo. Trying to get Osten under control. Pulling up to the church. People making sure Eadlyn and I wouldn't run into each other. My mom and dad pulling me into a tight embrace, telling me that they loved me and were proud of me. Someone ushering me to the front of the church. Camille and Ahren smiling in the front row. Henri's infectious smile beside me. Miss Marlee, already crying. Kile giving me a thumbs up from the pews. Hale and Ean next to him with only eyes for one another. This was really happening. My wedding. My mouth felt dry and my heart started to race.

The music started. I knew the processional from a practice run a few days prior. My parents were first. My father trying not to stare directly at the floor, I could see my mother silently trying to encourage him. They took their seats in the front row. The Queen was next, she glided down the aisle and took a seat next to my parents. Josie followed, Eadlyn's maid of honor. Instead of sitting down, she took her place on my right, leaving a place for my bride to stand.

The music shifted and everyone in the church stood. I looked to the back of the church, eager to see Eadlyn. My imagination had totally failed me. The butterflies in my stomach has a five foot wingspan. She was on her father's arm, of course, but I barely even noticed him. Her dress was strapless, but it had a high illusion neckline as well as sheer sleeves. The whole top of dress was dotted sporadically with diamonds that shimmered with each step. It flared out at her waist into a ball gown of tulle, with those same diamonds they were more concentrated at her waist, and gradually fading towards her feet. My heart was pounding, I wanted to run to her and take her into my arms right then. But I had to wait. Too slow she walked towards me. My vision blurred as moisture filled my eyes. This was sure a weepy day for me. How could I have ever thought I knew what beauty was before her?

Her father placed her hand in mine, and kissed her cheek. I could tell he was trying to keep his emotions in check. He placed his hand on my shoulder, looked me square in the eye and said "good luck with this one" and he nodded in her direction.

Suddenly, the three of us were giggling. Eadlyn's eyes were wide as saucers "Daddy!" She exclaimed.

"Sorry, I had to get in one more bad joke." He kissed her cheek again, squeezed my shoulder and took his seat next to his wife.

Finally, we turned to each other

"Hi" I said stupidly

"Hi" she smiled back and squeezed my hands.

Before our vows, Neena read a sweet poem about love, but I barely heard it. All my attention was on the stunning goddess in front of me. Even I heard the confidence in my voice as I recited my vows, an impressive feat for me in front of about 300 people. But these vows I knew I would never break. Her eyes never left mine as she pledged herself to me. I slid my great grandmother's ring onto her left hand. I felt the signet ring on mine. Of course we would use those rings. What other rings would have more meaning to us? The priest declared that we were husband and wife. Finally, I was able to wrap my arms around her and kiss her. We clung tightly to each other. If it wasn't for the hundreds of people and their thunderous applause, I might have forgotten that we weren't alone.

If this were a normal wedding, this is where the ceremony would end. This was not a normal ceremony. With my wife beside me, I could do anything. I pledged myself to Illea this time. One "I will" and three more "I do's" later, I felt the pressure of a crown on my head. I let myself feel the weight of the millions I was now partially responsible for on my shoulders. It was a heavy burden, but I would work as hard to fulfill my vows to my country as much as my vows to Eadlyn.

We held hands as we walked to the back of the chapel. The minute the doors closed behind us I pulled her to me as kissed her hard, dipping her slightly. As I pulled away, she had a dazed expression

"Hi husband"

"Hi wife"

I pulled her in again for a quick kiss before people started to come out behind us.

We were ushered back to the cars. We had about three hours before the reception was due to begin. We would spend most of that time taking formal pictures at the palace. We had about 15 minutes to ourselves in the limo on the way back to the palace. Even though we had the whole car to ourselves, she was sitting so close to me, she was practically on my lap. I certainly wasn't complaining. 15 minutes wasn't enough time. We still held hands, we hadn't let go of each other since we left the altar. Her other hand reached up and touched the crown on my head

"It suits you" she said.

" _You_ suit me" I responded. She kissed me lightly, and I ran my hand over her dress. "You're lucky I didn't pass out at the sight of you"

"Hale did such an amazing job"

I leaned over to her, whispering in her ear "My reaction to you has very little to do with your dress, Mrs. Koskinen." I felt her shiver.

"I love the sound of that" she whispered, smiling widely

"I love you"

"I love you too." This time she was the one who leaned in to kiss me. I pulled her into my lap, and she obliged. I took her hand and kissed her wedding ring, her palm, her wrist, I kissed every exposed inch of skin, granted, that wasn't much in her modest dress. She took my face with both of her hands and just looked into my eyes for a moment. It sent a thrill through my body when I saw the hunger in her eyes. I wanted her just as desperately. That, of course, would have to wait. She sighed, kissing me softly and shifted to rest her head on my shoulder. We laced our fingers back together as we pulled up to the palace.

Three hours of photos was exhausting. It seemed that there were endless combinations of family and diplomats. It didn't matter to me, I never stopped smiling, and neither did she. We also never stopped the contact with each other, always touching regardless of if it was holding hands, my hand on her waist, hers on my back. Any brief moment of separation felt like agony. I could tell she felt the same way. Towards the end of our marathon photo session, Hale and Ean approached us.

"Congratulations you two, such a beautiful ceremony" Hale said, shaking my hand and embracing Eadlyn. "Can you believe I already got two job offers since we got back here?"

"I sure can, I can't believe you only got two. I mean, you had the best canvas imaginable, but still, look at her" I said, squeezing her hand. She blushed and squeezed me back.

"Oh Eadlyn, look there one of the stitches is coming loose, we should go take care of that" he said quickly.

"Who cares? Nobody will notice" I said. I don't want you to leave my side, I thought to myself.

She smiled and assured me it would only take a few minutes and that she would meet me right outside of the reception hall. As the mass of guests were brought inside, I walked with Henri and Kile. As much as I just wanted Eadlyn today, it was nice to spend some time with my friends. Kile told me all about his project in Bonita, it was going well, but he still had a lot of work to do. There had been some weaknesses in the original planned structure that he hadn't anticipated, and now he was in the process of redesigning to ensure that it would be safe. Ean walked with us, but as usual, he mostly listened without saying much.

Outside the hall, my friends left to find their seats and I waited for my wife. My heart sank as I saw Alek leaning against a nearby doorway. This day was so perfectly, and I was worried he was going to ruin it.

"What is it, Alek?" I asked, irritability. I was surprised that he didn't have an immediate smart ass response, but instead, he somehow looked smaller. Humble.

"I just wanted to say congrats, Eikko." He sighed and looked conflicted "She seems like a good one. Caring, kind. I didn't realize. I wish you both happiness" He turned and left me there, stunned, and entered the hall. When did he have a chance to form this new opinion? They had barely spoken, as far as I knew.

I didn't have time to dwell on it. She walked down the stairs, and this time I really did need to brace myself on a nearby wall to keep from falling over. She had changed her dress, and this one was a knockout. The first dress showed her as a bride. Innocent and soft, it was a romantic dress, a look I happened to appreciate and love. This one was chic, and showed her as a woman, and I was finding this side of her equally appealing. It had wide straps and a sweetheart neckline. It was very fitted through her hips, where it flared out slightly. It was also white, and covered in lace. Her hair had been taken out of its elaborate style, and fell in curls over her shoulders and back. It was at that moment I realized that my mouth was actually hanging open, and how stupid that must look. I shut my jaw, but I couldn't stop staring at her, rendered completely speechless.

"You like it? You know know much I love fashion, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show my style. Plus this one will be easier to dance in"

I still couldn't speak. Eadlyn blushed "If you don't like it, I can go put the other one back on"

Finally, I found my voice and cleared my throat "Hale, do you think you could give us a moment alone?" He nodded and with a knowing smile, slipped into the ballroom.

I ran my hands along her sides "Do I like this? Eadlyn, you look amazing, I don't even have a strong enough word in any language to describe it." I could tell that pleased her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my down to kiss her. I really wished we could blow off that room of people and just be alone with her a little while longer. So naturally, I had barely even finished that thought when Lady Brice popped into the room, to tell us it was time to go. I wanted to slam the door in her face and keep my wife to myself - not that I was capable of such a thing. Honestly, I'm sure there would have been at least 15 disasters today without her running the whole event, so I held back.

The reception went on for hours and was another blur of faces and names and people offering their congratulations. There were endless dignitaries, mayors, other royals from Italy and Swendway. I could tell my mom was quite starstruck by the king and queen of Swendway. They were older, and had ascended before she left the country. She had grown up knowing their faces and names. We had an incredible dinner with endless courses, and cut into a towering chocolate cake made by Henri. It had flown here with him. He must have spent the rest of the night he arrived in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on it. I danced with Eadlyn as much as possible, but I also danced with the queen of Swendway, Camille, a mayor whose name I forgot, her mother and my mother. The whole party had been magical. I didn't think the party would matter much to me, as long as I was married to Eadlyn by the end of the day, but it did matter. It was a celebration of our love.

An embarrassing wave of jealousy bubbled in my stomach when I saw her dancing with Kile. I knew I had nothing to worry about, but images of them kissing on the front page of a newspaper flashed in my head anyway. I laughed, he was my friend and I was being so ridiculous. Henri had kissed her too, they had even been engaged briefly! She picked me, and that was all that mattered.

I was starting to feel overwhelmed, so I snuck out the side door for some air. This was the spot where Eadlyn had confessed to me that she felt she was in competition with Camille. We had held hands here, and she told me I was enough. I smiled thinking of that moment, she hadn't known how I felt about her, or known how hard my heart was hammering in my chest. It felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, but in reality only about six months had passed. How much my life had changed in that short time. Both of our lives, really. In the back of my mind, I heard Henri scolding me for running away. Telling me how poorly it would be perceived that I disappear while the queen dances with another man. I took a deep breath of the cool, clean air and went back inside.

Quickly, I found my wife. Apparently, she had been looking for me too. She took my hand.

"We can leave now. We've talked to everyone we needed to and put in enough face time. Do you want to go upstairs?"

"Are you sure?" I asked. A few hours ago, I would have sold my soul to be alone with her, but now that it could be reality, I was very nervous. "We wouldn't want to offend anyone."

She blushed "I checked with Aunt Brice. She said we've spent more than enough time here and that everybody that we needed to address had been taken care of"

Oh God, she asked her aunt if we could leave. She would know exactly where were going and what we would be doing. For the first time it hit me that this whole room would know. Not just strangers but our parents, siblings, friends. I guess that It was expected. Inevitable. It made me uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could do about it except try to forget that fact. It was kind of funny. This wasn't just wasnt an embarrassing situation because we were royalty. Most newlyweds would have to deal with this. It was nice to have a normal person problem for a change.

We quietly left the reception and walked hand in hand to her room. Neither of us spoke a word on the way there. After hours of small talk and accepting congratulations, a little bit of comfortable silence was exactly what I needed. I had a feeling she needed it too. During our ceremony and reception, the staff had moved my meager belongings into the room that connected to hers, but we had decided weeks ago that we would spend tonight in her room. It is where she felt safe and comfortable, and I wanted that for her. I was pleased to see that a bottle of champagne had been left for us. I had thought about our wedding night more than I care to admit, but now that it was here, I was feeling shy and nervous. I had no idea what I was doing, what if I was awful? I poured us each a glass of champagne, and she took hers with a smile and thanked me.

I took a few sips, and told myself to get it together. She was always the one who had to be strong and brave and lead - it was her job. I wanted to take the lead here, and not put that burden on her in our bedroom as well. I put down my glass and took the crown off my head. I kicked off my shoes and took off my jacket and tie. I needed to feel more like myself right now, and less of a dressed up doll. She watched me curiously, as I approached her, and took the glass or of her hands as well, placing it aside. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and kissed her softly. I kissed her cheek and her jaw, until I reached my destination at her ear

"Please tell me today was real. That I didn't just dream it all" I whispered.

She leaves her head against mine and I could feel her smile. "Believe it, Eikko. You're stuck with me."

"Well thank God for that." I said pulling her close.

As it turned out, I shouldn't have been worried. As we explored each other with light touches and kisses, it just felt right. I would say it was instinct, but it felt more like she had been made specially for me, and I for her. A piece of myself that I didn't know was missing until I'd found her. We took our time, enjoying everything we had abstained from and saved for the other. And afterwards, after whispered "I love yous" we fell into blissful sleep in each other's arms.


End file.
